Frequently Asked Questions

What is a long-range plan? >>

Our long-range development plan will provide a road map for transforming Parkmerced from its current state to where it will be in 15 to 20 years. The plan generally guides physical development, such as the location of buildings, open space, circulation and other land uses.

Will there be an environmental review? >>

Yes. The long-range plan for Parkmerced will undergo a thorough review of potential environmental impacts, per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and will inform decision-makers and the public about any environmental effects of the proposed plan. Parkmerced's EIR will also include the potential impacts of the surrounding proposed projects such as SFSU, Summerhill, 800 Brotherhood Way and Ardenwood.

Can the public provide input into the planning process? >>

Yes. The planning process has been and will continue to be highly interactive. All members of the community will continue to have an opportunity to make their voices heard. We will continue to work with the residents, neighbors and experts to explore the best options and designs for the future of Parkmerced.

We are very interested in hearing and exploring ideas that will make Parkmerced a better place for our residents, neighbors and San Francisco. Please visit News & Events or Community Outreach for information on how to participate or Submit a Comment to provide your input on Parkmerced Vision.

How many units will you be adding to Parkmerced? >>

Our vision of a world-class sustainable Parkmerced includes adding an average of 200 to 300 new units per year for 15 to 20 years. We are looking to provide a mix of for-rent and for-sale housing in a variety of types and sizes to further promote diversity, from families to young professionals and seniors, similar to the rest of San Francisco.

By increasing the number of people at Parkmerced, we will create an active, vibrant neighborhood leading to a greater sense of comfort and security for our residents.

Our vision recognizes the need for a vastly improved transportation system in this part of the City - something that hasn't been possible for over 40 years but is now achievable with a single owner and an involved community.

Will you be dislocating residents and demolishing any existing buildings? >>

Protecting our current residents is our top priority.

Among options to add new homes and enhance housing for residents, we are planning the replacement of some older buildings with upgraded, more efficient buildings. Proposed improvements also will make the new buildings accessible to people with disabilities. The work would be phased over 15 to 20 years.

These new apartments would be constructed prior to the replacement of existing apartments. This would ensure that affected residents would move only once into a new apartment.

Among options to add new homes and enhance housing for residents, we are planning the removal of some older facilities and replacement with upgraded, more efficient buildings. Any such work would be phased gradually over 15 to 20 years.

What is your relationship to the proposed San Francisco State University (SFSU) expansion? >>

While Parkmerced is located next to SFSU, it is an entirely separate entity and not related to the university or its proposed expansion plans. SFSU's proposed expansion is separate from current renovations in progress and any future improvements we may pursue at Parkmerced. As neighbors and interested stakeholders, we are actively following and providing feedback for SFSU's master plan to modernize its campus.

However, SFSU is a separate entity and has distinct goals. Our vision for Parkmerced involves more families, more diversity of housing, decreased reliance on the automobile, and greater amenities for our residents involving sustainable technologies and practices. We are not looking to meet the housing needs of SFSU's expansion. We are pursuing one-to-one parking for our residents and are not interested in providing off-campus parking opportunities.

In short, we will continue to follow all of the proposed developments in the area to understand and study their potential impacts on the neighborhood as a whole. We will provide leadership on traffic solutions and other improvements. It should be clear, however, that we are focused on transforming Parkmerced into a vibrant neighborhood

How will you address potential cumulative traffic and parking impacts of your plans along with the proposed SFSU expansion and other projects in the area? >>

We know traffic congestion and parking are big issues and the principle reason we sent out surveys to 16,000 Parkmerced households and neighboring residences.

First of all, we will be providing one-to-one parking at Parkmerced (that is, one off-street parking space per unit). We believe that parking in residential neighborhoods should be for the use of the people who live in those areas and their guests, and will be working toward this.

As a single owner, we're looking at ways to improve the entire Parkmerced neighborhood, rather than breaking up the property piecemeal as previous owners have done. We have the unique opportunity to capitalize on our size and resources to implement meaningful improvements that other nearby projects may or may not be willing or capable of addressing on their own. We also know that 19th Avenue and surrounding streets are congested now and are expected to continue to get worse regardless of what happens at Parkmerced. Therefore, we are pursuing innovative ways to actually improve the traffic and parking conditions in the area (see Sustainable Transportation for more).

Will you be turning rental units into condos? >>

No, we will not be turning any existing units into condos.

In terms of potential new homes, we've received a wide range of input, including suggestions for both for-sale and for-rent units. We will be exploring this further in our long-range concepts and throughout our discussions with residents and the community.

Use smart design and planning to reduce Parkmerced and San Francisco's impact on the environment.

Protect our residents and provide any who live in apartments slated for replacement with new onsite apartments at the same rent-controlled rate of their existing units. For more information, please click here.

Make Parkmerced an international model of 21st century urban sustainability.